West Kiewa (Mount Beauty Hydro Scheme) — Australia

West Kiewa (Mount Beauty Hydro Scheme) is a 62 MW hydro power plant in Victoria, Australia. It is operated by AGL Energy Pty Ltd. Based on reported annual generation of 154 GWh, it can supply roughly 44k homes. It ranks #237 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 4.3% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000105.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001022865; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 62 MW, West Kiewa (Mount Beauty Hydro Scheme) is well above the median hydro plant in Australia (45 MW). Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Load factor

28%, from 154 GWh of reported generation; the median for 50 hydro plants in Australia that report generation is 35%

Generation trend

115 GWh in 2013 and 154 GWh in 2018 (+34%)

Highest and lowest year

2017: 198 GWh; 2014: 107 GWh

Share of Australia hydro capacity

0.7% of 8,878 MW across 73 plants in this dataset

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by AGL Energy Pty Ltd. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 36.8°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 66% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 85/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #29 largest hydro power plant of 73 in Australia by capacity.

Australia has 73 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 8,878 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Clover · Hydro · 38 MW · Victoria
• Bogong (Mount Beauty Hydro Scheme) · Hydro · 300 MW · Victoria
• McKay Creek (Mount Beauty Hydro Scheme) · Hydro · 150 MW · Victoria
• Banimboola · Hydro · 12.2 MW · Victoria
• Dartmouth (Mount Beauty Hydro Scheme) · Hydro · 150 MW · Victoria
• Lake William Hovell · Hydro · 2 MW · Victoria

Location

Coordinates -36.7601, 147.186 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions